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The FF series features numerous memorable settings. From Elfheim in the original Final Fantasy, Midgar in Final Fantasy 7, to Limsa Lominsa in Final Fantasy 14, every one has earned a cherished place in players' hearts, who admire the distinctive idiosyncrasies that make these locales so unique. But, if one location that merits greater attention than the others, it is certainly Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy 8, not only because of its stunning design, but additionally for being a incredibly bizarre school.

An Absolute Blockbuster Scene

First, let's address the elephant in the room. Balamb Garden morphing into an airship and escaping from a rocket attack was pure cinema. This institution was not just designed to be a academy for mercenaries. It is a mobile base that permits them to establish new plans and move, based on the demands of those in command. I easily view it as one of the most impressive airship creations in the franchise, alongside Final Fantasy 10's Fahrenheit and several of the Final Fantasy 12 military airships.

The conversion of Balamb Garden into an airship remains one of the more memorable moments in gaming history.

The Initial Look of a Brooding Sanctuary

When we begin playing Final Fantasy 8 and watch Quistis escorting Squall out of the medical wing, we get our initial view of the environment this sullen-looking teenager calls home. A sweeping shot starts from the floor of the school and ascends to zoom in on the awe-inspiring scale of the building. Balamb Garden has a design that makes it feel futuristic, but also somehow divine. The flowing structures bring to mind a specifically late ‘90s vision of how the tomorrow would look. Meanwhile, because of the gilded features on the building and the long trails of light coming from the immense glowing halo on top of the school, Balamb Garden evokes a massive angel. It was designed to be a serene place — too peaceful for an establishment that turns teenagers into mercenaries.

The Unforgettable Soundtrack

Matching the tranquility that the appearance of Balamb Garden conveys, we have the school’s background music. One of the dearest memories I have from childhood is strolling around the main area of Balamb Garden, watching those aquatic statues spraying water, and listening to the soothing theme song. The issue is that it keeps playing in your head constantly. Whenever it comes back to my mind, I’m forced to look up on YouTube for a extended “Balamb Garden” song video. The only way to make it stop playing inside my head is to have enough of it.

• Lullaby melody that remains in your mind
• Main hub with fountain features
• Nostalgic associations for many players

The Compelling Academy

Balamb Garden is compelling as a location and also an organization. For starters, it accepts kids from 5 to 15 years old to mold them into mercenaries, but it looks like a enormous church. There are many military schools in RPGs, like in Trails of Cold Steel, but none look less militaristic than Balamb Garden.

A Paradoxical Slogan

If you access the Balamb Garden Network using one of the game terminals, you find out that the motto of the institution is “Work hard, study hard, and play hard.” I’m sorry, but I never have the feeling that those teenagers preparing to be mercenaries are “playing hard” — only Zell. But, given that the facility, where students encounter real monsters they can kill, is the sole place in the whole school available at any time during the day, maybe that’s what they intend by “playing.” While training is the key part of a student’s life in Balamb Garden, their diet is awful, since students are consuming so many frankfurters that the faculty have nothing else to say except “No more hot dogs today.”

Rigid Rules

Students are governed by a tight set of rules, which, for one, we would anticipate from a combat school, but conversely seems oddly funny. First, there’s no dress code in the school, but they are not allowed to leave their rooms in the nights, unless it’s for training. A student may be expelled if they lag in their studies, for aggressive acts, and for… “sexual promiscuity.” It might not seem like it, but Balamb Garden is truly worried about its students’ sex life. The school officially advises that students “take time to think things through before starting a relationship.” (After all, the real risk of being a student of Balamb Garden is love affairs, not fighting with gunblades and cutting each other's faces like Squall and Seifer were doing in the opening cutscene.)

Greater Than Just Aesthetics

From the delicate advanced design of the building to the ironies and dubious practices of the institution, there are many features of Balamb Garden to admire. Many of us like to joke about Squall, but Balamb Garden reminds us that there’s greater depth to Final Fantasy 8 than simply good looks.